The Class AA Player of the Year race last season was close, and there were at least four players with realistic claims.
Our inaugural selection for the award ultimately went to CATS Academy's Jaylen Harrell, who also won the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year for a second consecutive season. But he's now off to college, as is former Worcester Academy standout Amir Jenkins, who also had a legitimate case. But Class AA continues to be stockpiled with high-level talent.
Two of Class AA's best players from last season are back this winter, and there are plenty of names among the division's 15 teams on the rise. Some are high-major talents looking to make a huge jump, and there are many transfers we expect to make a major impact in their debut NEPSAC seasons.
Here are 10 candidates to win the 2026 Class AA Boys Player of the Year.
PREVIEWS: NEPSAC boys power rankings | Class AAA boys POY watch list | Class AA boys team breakdowns
Brandon Arnold, Kimball Union
Class of 2026, 6-3 guard
Hometown: Baldwin, N.Y.
NCAA: Marist
Arnold was empowered to lead the Wildcats midway through last season and helped lead them to the Class AA semifinals. Assuming he recovers well from summer shoulder surgery, the steady point guard will again have the keys for KUA as it looks to make another jump; he’s one of the most reliable guards in NEPSAC who can score at all three levels and create plays for others.
Dywane Chess, St. George’s
Class of 2026, 6-4 guard
Hometown: Bethlehem, Pa.
NCAA: Marist
With several key players from last season’s team gone, Chess will be counted on to assume the scoring loaded for a talented St. George’s team this winter. He was already the Dragons’ third-leading scorer as a junior, and the physical, quick guard could reach the next level if he can find consistency from 3-point range.
CHESS' TIME: Why the guard is ready to be a leader for St. George's
Theo Edema, Cushing
Class of 2027, 7-foot center
Hometown: Delta State, Nigeria
Edema surged on to the national radar this spring and summer with several high-major offers and a No. 53 ranking in the 2027 class by 24/7 Sports. He averaged nine points, 10 rebounds and four blocks per game last season as a sophomore. He’s already a high IQ player in the post and an elite rim protector. If he continues to develop his skills and outside shot, he could become unguardable this season.
Alex Egbuonu, Lawrence Academy
Class of 2026, 6-6 wing
Hometown: Nashua, N.H.
Egbuonu was voted as the best player in NEPSAC – regardless of class – in our coaches’ survey this summer, and it’s hard to blame them. The physically gifted wing can do everything on the floor. He averaged 25.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.7 blocks per game last season, and we should expect much of the same this season.
GOLDEN EAGLE: Why Egbuonu picked Marquette
Sam Fleming, Wilbraham & Monson
Class of 2026, 6-7 forward
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.
Fleming is back after suffering a torn Achilles midway through last season, and it sounds like the skilled forward is ready to remind people what he can do. Already a high IQ player with great touch, footwork and ability to produce out of the high post, he became a better 3-point shooter during his recovery. Without a college commitment yet, Fleming – who was receiving high-major interest pre-injury – should be motivated for a big year.
Brayden Harris, MacDuffie
Class of 2026, 6-5 wing
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
A postgraduate transfer from Valley Christian in California, Harris is the kind of alpha scorer that head coach Kurt Steiner has been looking for at MacDuffie. He can get buckets from every level and every situation, from broken plays to clutch game-winners, and he’s underrated with his playmaking ability. He’s a winning player who’s motivated to prove himself as a Division 1 player.
Ryan Moesch, Cushing
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Hometown: Chittenango, N.Y.
NCAA: Siena
Moesch was a flash of lightning in his first NEPSAC season as he averaged 17 points and six assists per game, and his numbers only begin to tell the story of his impact. The reigning NEBL Player of the Year is the best pure point guard in the region and he’s motivated to lead Cushing to a championship this season.
SIENA BOUND: Why Moesch chose the Saints
Ethan Ostane, Mount St. Charles
Class of 2026, 6-3 guard
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
The transfer guard from Abraham Lincoln High School in New York – where he was All-State in Class AAA – will be one of the best pure scorers in Class AA this season; he’s shifty, athletic and he can hit the 3 consistently off the catch or dribble. He’s the engine of a Mount St. Charles' squad looking to make noise this winter.
Samuel Owusu Aduomi, Tilton
Class of 2027, 6-6 guard
Hometown: Paramus, N.J.
Owusu Aduomi has already made an impact in his move to New England this fall as a new member of BABC, and he’s expected to have a sizable role for head coach Marcus O’Neil in his return to Tilton. He’s a force on both ends with his length and quickness, a terror in transition and can score in bunches. If the Rams make noise this season, expect Owusu Aduomi to be a big part of it.
Brady Sehlhorst, Winchendon
Class of 2026, 6-7 forward
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
NCAA: Elon
Sehlhorst is the most college-ready recruit on a promising Winchendon squad. The transfer from Notre Dame High (Ill.) scored 22 points per game on 42 percent 3-point shooting last season, and he’s the school’s single-season scoring record holder. He’s a physical wing who gets downhill, plays under control, finishes above the rim and hits consistently from downtown. There’s an expectation he’ll be one of the top scorers in Class AA.
Five more names to watch: Nate Blenman, Cushing; Keyshon Joyner, MacDuffie; Darren Moore, Northfield Mount Hermon; Chinedu Okpara, Wilbraham & Monson; Hudson Scroggins, Kimball Union
